Arrow
by Thisishowitends
Summary: A little fic about Ross and Donna, what might of happened if Donna was still around and didn't have condition. However things still take a turn for the worse. ROSS AND DONNA. illness/hurt/sick
1. Chapter 1

Donna arched her back and stretched out her arms, letting out a quiet groan as she did so. Her eyes were still closed and her hair was a tangled tousled mess around her head on the pillow. Ross laid beside her on his side, just watching her, drinking in every inch of her. He had woken up hours ago. It was unusual for him to wake so early. He had no idea what had woken him but found he couldn't go back to sleep when he had tried. So he had spent until then, looking at Donna. He couldn't believe his luck. How had he been so lucky for her to give him a chance? He had fallen head over heels in love with her and there was no going back. He would never of dreamt being in love, especially with a police woman. But now he couldn't imagine his life any other way.

The young mechanic began to trace light semi circles on Donna's shoulder before he gently leaned in closer to the woman and placed soft kisses up her neck. Her skin was soft, she was perfect. It did the trick. She groaned once more and turned her head so she could pull him into a kiss.

"Morning."

"Morning, beautiful." When had he turned so soft? He blamed her. She had changed him.

"You're awake?"

"'fraid so."

Donna ran her hand through Ross's hair, before resting it on the back of his neck. He looked tired. "How long have you been awake?" He was never awake before him. She was always the one kicking his bottom out of bed.

"MUMMY!"

They both froze and listened intently to the small footsteps running along the hall outside before the bedroom door swung open and Donna's little girl ran inside. April jumped onto the bottom of the bed and clambered up so she could squeeze herself in between Ross and Donna.

"What are you doing in here Missy?!" Donna pulled April into a hug and kissed the top of her head.

"Auntie Rhona told me to tell you that she can take me to school this morning." April explained to her mother.

"Oh did she now?" Donna smiled. "I suppose you ought to be getting your school uniform on then! Brush your teeth and wash your face while I put together your lunch box, sound like a good idea?"

"Yeah!" April clambered over Ross in yellow pyjama's her hair a mess just like her mums in the morning. She didn't care. She was so much like Donna it scared him. She wasn't shy around him though. April had long accepted that Ross was Mummy's boyfriend. The two had been together for four months now and two of which other people didn't know about. Marlon and Laurel hadn't been too happy when Donna had explained to them about her new boyfriend.

"Careful!" Donna scolded lightly, when she caught Ross pulling a face as April's knee dug into his stomach as she climbed over him to the door.

"Sorry Mummy! Sorry Ross!" The little girl called over her shoulder before she disappeared from the room again.

Donna pulled herself up to sit up in bed against the headboard. She ran her hands through her hair, trying to tame the wild locks and tease some tangles out. Ross stayed lying next to her, looking up at her.

"What are you looking at?"

"You."

"I can see that!"

"Then why ask?!"

Donna smiled and placed a kiss on Ross's lips. "You stay here while I go make her packed lunch. I'll be back I promise. I've got an hour to spare before I need to get ready for work."

"I like the sound of that." Ross smirked.

Donna flipped back the bedcovers and hopped out of bed. She was always had so much energy, even in the early mornings when everyone else just wanted to sleep and couldn't bare thinking about getting out of bed. She was unbelievable. Donna grabbed her dressing gown from the bottom of the bed and wrapped it around her cream pyjama top and shorts before leaving the room.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

When Donna returned to her bedroom, after putting her daughter's packed lunch together and seeing her off to school with Rhona and Leo, Ross was fast asleep. She was a little disappointed. She had hoped that she and Ross could make good use of the spare hour she had before work. They hadn't had that much time together lately.

He was out cold. His arm stretched out underneath his head as he slept on peacefully. She had tried to wake him when she returned, placing soft kisses along his jawline and running her hand up and down his arm. Nothing had worked. He was in a deep sleep. So instead of having sex with Ross, she ran a bubble bath and had a nice long soak while he slept in her bed.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

"And what time do you call this?" Debbie commented as Ross strolled up the forecourt, one hand in his pocket while the other rubbed his forehead, his eyes squinting.

"I er, I over slept." Ross explained.

"You always over sleep. Ever thought about getting a decent alarm clock?" Debbie chided him, hands on her hips.

Ross snorted. He hadn't stayed at home last night. It was Donna's alarm clock he would have been relying on. "I've got a bad head."

"There's some parasetamol in the office, take them and get to work."

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

Pete sat at the bar with Debbie after work. Andy and Katie had the kids that night, so it allowed Debbie to have the night off and enjoy it with Pete. They were both sat at the bar drinking and talking about their days. Donna was sat a couple of bar stools away from them, waiting for Ross.

"Are you meeting our Ross tonight then?" Pete asked her politely. He was very pleased for his younger brother. He had finally grown up and gotten himself into a good relationship with a lovely woman. A police officer. Who knew that Ross Barton would be going out with a police woman and behaving himself?

Donna nodded her head. "He was meant to be here ten minutes ago though." She looked at the time on her phone screen. "What time did he finish work tonight Debbie?"

"Six. He said he was going home to shower first." The female mechanic answered. "I wouldn't worry, he's most probably trying to look his best for you."

Donna laughed.

It was then that Ross decided to make his appearance. He was dressed in his normal Jeans and black jumper and jacket. He looked a little tired but he wasn't covered in car oil or grease anymore and he smelt amazing as he leaned into kiss Donna on the cheek to greet her.

"Sorry I'm late. Needed a shower and Andy was bathing Jack so I had to wait." Ross explained.

"Don't worry, you're here now. Fancy a drink?"

"I'll get these." Ross caught the attention of Chas and ordered a glass of white wine for Donna and his usual.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

He felt horrible. His head felt like it was going to split open. His skull was throbbing with intense pain, only made worse by the gleam of the lights in the village pub. Ross had woken up with a bad head after falling asleep when Donna had gone downstairs. He had hoped that when he had taken the parasetamol at work that it would get rid of the headache. Instead it had only gotten worse throughout the day. His neck was stiff too. He couldn't find a comfortable position or ease the deep ache in his muscles. He had no idea what he was coming down with, the flu maybe?

He didn't want to tell Donna. He didn't want her making fun of him, like she had Paddy. The other day the vet had become poorly, claiming to have caught Man Flu. Donna and Rhona had mocked him several times. It was only cold according to them. He didn't want to come across weak. He was meant to be tough. He couldn't get ill. A simple cold wouldn't effect Ross.

"Are you feeling alright?" Donna paused the conversation she was having with Debbie to ask him. The four of them had decided to sit together at a table not long after he had arrived.

Ross nodded his head. He took a drink of his larger. He didn't like how the three of them had paused talking to look his way when Donna had asked. He didn't like being centre of attention, well only of hers.

"You sure?" Donna reached out to touch his hand that rested on the table top. She was alarmed by how cold it felt to touch her skin. "Christ Ross, you're freezing!"

The young mechanic snatched his hand back out of her reach. He was fine. So what his hands were cold, it felt a bit chilly in the pub anyway, hence why he still had his jacket on. He was thankful that Pete and Debbie had continued on with the conversation, leaving Donna and Ross to it.

The young brunette raised a disbelieving eyebrow at her boyfriend. Something was off with Ross and she was going to get to the bottom of it. After all she was a police woman, it was her job to suss things out.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

At around half eight, Donna and Debbie had gravitated back towards the bar to order another round of drinks in. However the two had gotten into a discussion with Leyla about problem she had, while they were waiting to be served. They had left the boys together at the table, to talk nicely to one and other.

"You sure you're alright, you look a bit pale." Pete commented, he'd been watching him out of the corner of his eye. He hadn't looked too great all night, but now it was starting to show badly. He was pale, he was keeping his eyes shielded from any bright lights and was now shivering ever so slightly even though he was trying to cover it up.

"Yeah I'm fine. I've just got a bad head." Ross told his brother through gritted teeth as a sudden wave of nausea hit him out of the blue. He was trying to keep it down as his stomach rolled.

"I'm not convinced it's just a bad head." His brother looked ill. He was having concerns of it being something else, something worse.

"Just leave it, yeah? I'm a big boy now." Ross plastered on a sarcastic smile, making Pete shake his head.

"You're unbelievable."

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

He had thrown up in the toilets twice now. The second time he had very nearly not made it. He had burst into the gents and thrown himself down beside the toilet before empting his stomach contents, which wasn't very much. He hadn't had eaten that much that day, a bit of toast as he had rushed out of Donna's and sandwich and muffin from the café for lunch.

As he stood from his crouched position on the floor next to the toilet, certain he wasn't going to throw up again, Ross leant his whole body back against the closed cubicle door. The room was tilting and turning, he wasn't sure which way was up or down as he tried to stay standing and let the dizziness pass.


	2. Chapter 2

"Right, I'm going to call it night. Up early with April tomorrow, taking her swimming." Donna said as she stood and pulled her coat on. It was nearing ten a clock. She needed to get home, get April's swimming things together and get to bed herself if she intended on waking up early to take her daughter swimming.

"Mmm, me too. Sarah wants me to watch her riding lessons tomorrow." Debbie said checking the time. "Don't look like that." The young mechanic laughed, when she caught Pete looking a little disappointed. "It's not until half ten so we have plenty of time-."

"Hey, woah there!" Donna laughed, hearing too much.

Debbie smirked.

"Hey you, are you coming?" Donna directed at a very vacant looking Ross. He had become a little quite further on in the evening. She had kept looking over at him, wanting to ask if he was alright but she knew what the answer would be. She couldn't help but notice the concerned looks Pete was throwing his way as well. "Ross? . . . Ross?" She called.

Pete shoved Ross gently to get his attention. "What?!"

"Are you coming? We're going home now." Donna explained to him. She was stood with her coat on and bag over her shoulder. Debbie had already joined her, standing at her side waiting to go.

"What? . . . yeah, yeah." Ross muttered, shaking his head to rid the cotton candy feeling in his skull that had taken up place along with the hammering pain.

Donna smiled.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

They had no idea what had happened. One minute Ross was pushing his chair back and standing up the next Pete was catching him as the young mechanic seemed to stumble sideways. If it hadn't been for the older brother, Ross would have fallen to the floor. Pete held his brother up and tried to get him supporting himself on his own two feet as he held on to his upper arms tightly. He was spaced out.

"Easy Ross." Pete grumbled as he struggled to support him. His younger brother kept blinking his eyes and shaking his head slightly. "You alright?"

"Is he alright? Oh my god Ross." Donna exclaimed having seen the whole thing.

A few others in the pub had witnessed the stumble too. Chas stood behind the bar watching still.

"Ross?" Debbie was shocked. He had hardly had much alcohol all night. He had only had the two points. Hardly a skin full to make him drunk enough he couldn't even stand straight.

Ross shook his head and shrugged Pete's hold off of him as he reached out to lean his hands on the table. He had been hit with a huge wave of dizziness as he had stood up. It had taken him completely unexpected. The floor seemed to be rising up to meet him. "I'm fine."

"You don't look it kid. I think you ought to come round the back, don't you think." Chas piped up from behind the bar. He looked awful. He was never going to make it back home to lie down the state he was in, even if it were just across the street.

"I think you should." Donna told him, taking hold of his arm to pull him up straight.

"I'll help you." Pete grabbed hold of Ross's other arm, one hand firmly around his upper arm whilst the other rested on his back just in case he were to stumble backwards.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

James had been sat in the backroom of the pub, watching TV as he waited for Chas to finish her shift that night, He had finished a full day's work up at the farm. He was exhausted. A quick shower and a hearty meal later, he found himself crashed out on the sofa watching a housing development program. Not long into the program, the door that led to the pub opened and in came Ross escorted by Pete, Donna, Chas and Debbie.

He jumped straight to his feet upon seeing how pale his middle son looked. He wasted no time on ushering him over to the sofa and ordering him lie down. He looked dreadful.

"What's happened?" He questioned them all.

"Ross had a funny turn in the bar, I told him her ought to come through to the back." Chas explained to her partner. James crouched down in front of his son and ran his hand over his forehead and brushed his hair back. "He's burning up."

"No wonder he collapsed then." Pete commented. The oldest Barton brother had perched himself on the arm of the sofa after helping his dad get Ross onto the Sofa.

"I didn't collapse." Ross weakly argued, his eyes screwed shut. It was too bright in the back room, much brighter than the pub.

"We need to see how high your temperature is." James said, straightening up and turning to Chas. "Have you got a thermometer?"

"Yeah, I'll go fetch it."

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

They had wasted no time in getting Ross to the hospital after the reading they took after taking his temperature. It worried them all. His temperature was far too high to be treated at home with a few parasetamol and ice packs. James, Donna, Pete and Debbie were all sat waiting in the corridor for news on Ross. Debbie had called ahead when they were driving to the hospital, informing them that they were on their way with someone who had a dangerously high temperature and couldn't get them to keep awake for very long at a time. As soon as they arrived they had whisked Ross away to an examination room, leaving them standing in the corridor. What had set their concerns off even more was the doctors and nurses had taken Ross away on trolley he hadn't a clue what was going on. During the journey to the hospital Pete and Donna had sat in the back of the truck with Ross trying to keep him awake and alert, frightened that if he fell sleep it wouldn't be good considering how high his temperature was. It had proven to be a challenge, Ross had become more and more vacant as they neared the hospital.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Donna asked, hoping for some reassurance

"Course he will be, he's Ross." James said.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

James, Donna, Pete and Debbie had been sitting in the waiting room, not far from where Ross was being treated, for over an hour. They were all tense, worried that it was more than just a bad case of the flu that Ross had caught, the longer they waited. Debbie had gotten them all a coffee from the drinks machine, it gave them all something to do.

After nearly two hours of waiting for any kind of news, there was a brief knock on the door before a Doctor dressed in a smart purple tie and shirt walked in. He was around the same age as James, grey speckled hair and a serious air about him. He wasted no time in introducing himself as the Doctor who was treating Ross and going on to explain his current condition.

"We have ran several tests on Ross, however we have one more we would like to run." Doctor Green spoke.

"What test is that?" James questioned. He was still waiting to be told why Ross was so ill. He had been fine earlier that day, when he had seen him walk down to the garage.

"It's a lumbar puncture test-."

"Lumbar puncture? Why would you need to do that?" Pete interrupted, knowing it was something very serious. You didn't perform such tests if it were just the flu.

"We believe that Ross may have caught meningitis. This procedure will confirm whether he had or not. If we do carry it out, we won't know until a further 48 hours, I'm afraid."

"Meningitis is quite serious though? You need to treat it quickly don't you? If not it can be fatal. You hear about people being disabled because they weren't treated quickly enough." Donna started to panic.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Doctor Green tried to calm the situation down. He didn't want to panic his patient's family members. "I can assure you we are treating him with the best possible care and action plan. At the moment we have got him hooked up to fluids and antibiotics. He is being monitored and watched constantly for any changes."

"The lumbar puncture test what is that?" James asked.

"It's a procedure that carry out to confirm whether he has meningitis. A hollow needle is inserted into the base of the spine under local anesthetic. The needle passes into the spinal canal, where we measure the pressure, and in some cases like this we remove some of the cerebrospinal fluid for testing."

James ran a hand down his face trying to take it all in. His son was seriously ill. In a matter of hours his son's health had deteriorated drastically.

"What happens if this test confirms that he does have meningitis?" Pete asked.

"We adjust the treatment he is currently receiving to treat his condition. At the moment we are only able to give him antibiotics to target whatever infection he has, when we know what infection he does have we can then use more specific medication. In the meantime we are currently focusing on getting his fever down and finding out what the cause is."

"When will you do the lumbar puncture test?"

"Like all procedures Mr. Barton we need to seek out consent from the patient's next of kin before we can do anything. We would like to perform it as soon as possible so we can start treating him for meningitis, which I am sure he has."

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

Whilst the Doctors and nurses began preparing everything for the lumbar puncture test, Ross was allowed visitors. He was laid up in a hospital bed, still sick and confused. He blamed the high temperature. The IV in the back of his hand and arm hurt. They had struggled to get the first IV line in, something about not being able to find a vein. It had taken two nurses to finally get the first IV cannula set up. He hadn't been impressed. The back of his left hand was now sore and he was trying really hard not to move it in case he jogged it.

He was pleased to see Donna when she entered his room. She looked really worried. The young woman had been the first to enter. She had placed a kiss on his forehead and taken up the seat closest to him, taking his right hand.

"How are you feeling?" She smiled. James as the other's filtered into the room and took up various places to sit. Debbie had taken up the other seat, Pete had perched on the end of his hospital bed and James had walked round to his other side and was now standing next to him, looking down with great concern.

"Not great."

They all laughed. "I'm not surprised son. You've got us all worried."

"Have the doctors been into explain?" Donna asked.

Ross nodded his head, then regretted it straight after. He still had one hell of a killer headache, despite being given a dose of morphine to help.

"Does your head still hurt?" Pete squeezed the bottom of Ross's leg. "Haven't they given you anything for it?"

"Yeah they have, just doesn't work that well." Ross told them.

"We'll soon get you better. As soon as they find out what's wrong, you'll be on the mend again."

"Too right, I need him back at work soon as." Debbie joked.

They were interrupted by Doctor Green entering the room, followed by a couple of nurses. "We would like to perform the procedure now. If you could all leave the room please." He announced.

"Can Donna stay?" Ross asked, catching everyone off guard. He was holding on tightly to her hand. He didn't want her to go. He had already had enough of dodgy needles and tests. He just wanted to sleep and be left alone, no more prodding and poking.

"She can." Doctor Green allowed. "However everyone else must go."

"We will be right outside, okay?" James assured him.

They had gotten everything set up in a matter of minutes. It was a shame the procedure wasn't carried out so swiftly.


	3. Chapter 3

"My head is killing me." Ross groaned as he went to roll over in the hospital bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Everything hurt.

"Oh no you don't. You heard what the doctor said. He wants you lying on your back for now." James said stopping his son from rolling over. He wasn't pleased when Doctor Green had explained to him that the procedure hadn't been as straight forward as they had hoped. They had had trouble getting the fluid they needed. Ross hadn't been happy either. He was fed up with being poked and prodded.

Since the lumbar puncture Ross had been left with a headache even worse than before.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." The young mechanic announced.

"Quick!" Donna exclaimed, grabbing a cardboard basin from the side and thrusting it into James hands to hold in front of Ross.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

It was Monday morning and James had just nipped to The Woolpack to see Chas for a few minutes before he disappeared back to the hospital after a full day's work up at Butlers Farm. He had spent all weekend at the hospital watching over his son and asking all sorts of questions to the Doctors, as they battled to get his temperature down to a safer level. They had rushed through the results for his lumbar puncture test very quickly the day the test was done. Not even an hour after his lumbar puncture test Ross took a turn for the worse. His temperature had scored high and he became less aware and alert of his surroundings. The whole weekend he had been miserable and irritable. Doctor Green had wasted no time in getting the results back and telling them his diagnosis. Ross had bacterial meningococcal meningitis and was soon put on the correct course of antibiotics.

"You look tired." Chas commented when he walked through from the pub and crashed down on the sofa next to her. He sagged into the plush cushions and ran his hands up and down his face and hands, trying to scrub away some tiredness.

"That's because I am. It's been one hell of a weekend." James admitted.

"I'm not surprised love. It's any parent's worst nightmare." Chas sighed. "The doctors know what they're doing, he'll be as right as rain before you know it."

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

Donna had finished her 10 hours shift at work, gone home and spent a few hours with April, doing her homework, making her tea and playing with her before putting her to bed. She was shattered but she needed to see how Ross was doing. He was still in hospital being treated for meningitis. She had thought that only children or university students became ill with it but apparently not. She had been wrong. The doctor had explained to her and his family all about the illness he had, how it would affect him, the treatment he would receive, the complications that could happen and how it could affect those closest to him as well. She had been prescribed antibiotics to take daily for a week, in case she had caught it from him. Doctor Green had explained it was just a precautionary measure.

He had looked so miserable all weekend when she had visited him. She had never seen him ill before, not even with a cold. Most of the time visiting was spent trying to comfort him. Ross had been trying to act as though it was nothing more than a cold, he was tough he could deal with it. He didn't want anyone to think otherwise. However at some points he couldn't hide how much discomfort he was in or how much his head hurt or muscles ached. He became irritable and restless and a complete nightmare to be around.

She needed to see him tonight. Donna hadn't seen him since the previous morning. She had kept in contact with James and Ross's brothers, receiving updates of his condition whilst she was at home or at work. She had her daughter and work to be with and manage so she couldn't stop everything and be with him twenty-four seven. She had been a little worried when she had messaged James during her lunch break asking if they had gotten him temperature down and got an answer back saying no, they were still trying.

It was half eight by the time she managed to get the hospital, with half an hour left of visiting times. Luckily though, the ward Ross had been admitted to was pretty relaxed on visitors, especially so if the visitors belonged to a patient with their own room, like Ross. She had walked into his room to find him not in his bed.

Ross was sat in the large chair beside his bed. He was wearing the 'pajamas' that James had brought in from Andy's, which consisted of an old black sweatshirt with a couple of white paint splatters on the left sleeve and old pair of dark grey sweatpants. James had explained to them that they were the closest things he had found to resemble pajamas, as Ross usually only slept in his underwear. However at hospital it was hardly decent to be wondering around half naked. So the old jumper and joggers had to make do. Until James went shopping to buy him a couple of sets of pajamas. The young mechanic would remain in hospital for at least a week depending on how his treatment was going.

"You're up out of bed. Feeling a little bit better?" Donna greeted. She made herself comfortable on the other chair in the room, taking her jacket off and laying it across her lap neatly.

If only he were so lucky. The young man had his head pressed back against the high back of the chair, his eyes closed as he tried to block out the pain in his head. It had still not gotten any better.

"What happened to your hand?" Donna asked noticing the bandage wrapped around his left hand where he had previously had an IV cannula.

"Silly me, pulled it out accidently this morning when I tried to roll over. I forgot." He breathed. It had been messy. He never knew until then, that pulling out an IV line caused so much blood. Whilst the nurses had cleaned his hand up and fitted a new IV cannula in his other hand, someone else had come into his room and changed his bed sheets after getting blood on them. He hadn't had the energy to climb back into bed.

He had remained in the chair for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Time seemed to be passing rather weirdly for Ross. Sometimes it would blur by in a hurry, unable to focus on anything in particular making his head spin and other times it couldn't pass quick enough. When he was in the most discomfort wishing for time to hurry up and just be better again, time dragged by. It seemed frozen. The nurse hadn't been too happy that he hadn't gotten back into bed. They had suggested that he should on several occasions throughout the evening and afternoon but he ignored them. He wasn't impressed with them so far, not when they kept sticking things in his ear, taking his blood pressure, sticking needles in him and waking him every so often on the rarity when he did manage to get to sleep to poke and prod him.

Donna had sat watching him for a few minutes. She wasn't expecting him to be great company. He was really ill. He wasn't aware that she was watching him across the bed that was separating them. His eyes were closed as he sat curled up in the large chair, the side of his head now pressed against the back of the chair. The young man in his sorry state made her heart clench. She wished she could kiss it all better, like she could with April when she scraped her knee or knocked her elbow.

"What are you staring at?" Ross questioned, one eye peeking open, making her jump. She had been miles away.

She sighed. "You."

"Well don't." Ross grumbled. "I feel enough like an animal in a zoo without you staring at me like that."

"Staring at you like what?" She asked. She hadn't realized she had been staring at him in any way to make him think that.

"Like that."

"Like what?"

"Shut up."

Donna laughed, he was still the same old him, and despite him being a little off his usual self. She watched him fidget a few more times in his chair, now getting restless once again. She wanted to cuddle him up in her arms and just hold him.

The young police woman stood up from her chair and hung her coat on the seat before adjusting the pillow on the hospital bed and climbing on top. She toed her shoes off and let them fall to the floor in a low thump. Donna turned to Ross and patted the space beside her. "Come on." She shuffled a little further towards the edge to allow more room for him, the bed was meant for him to be in not her. "I'm sure the nurses won't mind."

While Ross got up from the chair and climbed onto the bed, Donna reached over to her bag on the side and fumbled around. She pulled out a brightly decorated card with felt tip drawings, glitter, feathers and pompoms attached all over the front leaving no space left undecorated. She waited until Ross had gotten comfortable beside her, his body turned slightly towards her as he sat propped up, before she handed him the card.

"April made this for you. She wanted to come see you. I said I would maybe bring her another time, later on when you're feeling a bit better." Donna explained to him as he stared at the card in his hand, trying to take all decoration in. She had helped April write 'get well soon' in giant bubble writing before the little girl had gotten the glitter out and gone crazy with shiny flecks of color within the writing. She truly was a very creative child. "She told me to give you a big hug and magic kisses to make you feel better, as they always work for her."

Ross read the card, in shaky child's writing it read 'To Ross, get well soon, love April x'. It was sweet. He stood the card up on the bedside cabinet, next to the jug of water and cup and packet of Moam pinballs that Finn had left behind the other day when came to visit. "Where's my magic kisses then?" He asked when he turned back to Donna, a cheeky glint in his glazed eyes.

As the evening wore on they had shuffled further down the bed. Ross and Donna laid together on the bed on the side's facing each other. Ross laid with his hands underneath the pillow soothed to sleep by Donna running her hand up and down his back while her other rested underneath her head. She was careful not to get caught up in any of the wires or tubes attached to her boyfriend. She didn't want to cause him anymore discomfort. The brunette was quite happy to see that she was able to comfort him.

_**Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale*Ross*Donna*Emmerdale**_

James arrived back at the hospital to get an update on his son's condition and to see him just after nine. He had ended up spending longer than he had planned to with Chas at hers. He had been able to talk to her honestly about his worries and concerns. He found great comfort in talking to her. She had been worried senseless over her son before. She understood the worry that he had. Her Aaron and his Ross were similar in many ways.

As he had passed the nurses station upon entering the ward Ross was on, he asked a few of them how Ross had been fairing up since his last visit yesterday. Nothing had changed. He was still concerning Doctor Green with his high temperature, however everything else seemed fine. They were quite happy with his overall progress.

He found it quite sweet when he walked into his son's room. The younger man and the police woman were sharing the small hospital bed together, as they slept. They had fallen asleep as Donna had been comforting him her arm draped over his waist. He tried not to disturb them as he crossed the room and placed the overnight bag he had brought with him on the large chair beside bed on Ross's side. While they slept peacefully he began unpacking the bag, full of Ross's clothes and necessities, and placing them into the bedside cabinet. He had found some more clothes that Ross could pass as using for pajamas whilst in hospital. He had also brought a long some shower gel and soap, as well as underwear and his favorite squash.

James closed the door to the bedside cabinet a little louder than he had intended causing Donna to wake. "Sorry love, I didn't mean to wake you." He apologized. The young female stretched and rubbed the corner of her eyes. She stretched her limbs and then reached towards Ross to sweep a stray lock of hair from his forehead back. "What is it?"

"He feels really hot." Donna told him, touching the back of her hand to a still sleeping Ross's forehead. "You come feel it."

James reached his hand over to feel his son's temperature while Donna shuffled into a position so she was then sitting on the bed. Ross slept on. He was alarmed by how hot the younger man really did feel. He thought they were meant to be getting that down. "That's not right."

"Do you think I should go speak to one of the nurses? See what else they can do." Donna wondered.

James nodded his head. He didn't want to let onto Donna but he knew this wasn't a good sign. When she stood and left the room, the older man began to try and rouse Ross from his sleep. It was no good, he wasn't going to wake up.


End file.
